Advise Please

This is a discussion on Advise Please within the Freshwater and Tropical Fish forums, part of the Freshwater Fish and Aquariums category; -->
Get tests, similar to what you get to test for amonia, nitrite, nitrate etc and test ph (the lower, the softer and more acidic, ...

Get tests, similar to what you get to test for amonia, nitrite, nitrate etc and test ph (the lower, the softer and more acidic, the higher, the harder and more alkaline) which gives an indication. If you wanted to get further into it then buy tests for kh and gh as well. Again the higher the result, the harder the water.

I was reading up on the cycling methods and was wondering if I use the fish method with zebra danios would I still have enough room if I eliminate the neon tetra for now? I really dont want to kill the danios off once the cycling is done. Afterall they are the ones that had to put up with my mistakes.

only difference with 25 gal is size and length of florescent bulp ..this one has a 30".

I kinda took a liking to the 29 gal tank :) Now my question is can I still use live plants and skittle sized gravel (dark) and...how much gravel (pound wise) would I need for the 3 inch layer? Is there a ratio that can be used to figure it out?

I was reading up on the cycling methods and was wondering if I use the fish method with zebra danios would I still have enough room if I eliminate the neon tetra for now? I really dont want to kill the danios off once the cycling is done. Afterall they are the ones that had to put up with my mistakes.

There is still room for neons however the danios will eventually die as they were subjected to damage by the presence of ammonia, nitrites and high nitrates during the cycling.

There is still room for neons however the danios will eventually die as they were subjected to damage by the presence of ammonia, nitrites and high nitrates during the cycling.[/quote]

I am actually torn between the fish and the fishless method..I hate the idea of making an animal suffer but at the same time it will give us something to look at while we wait for the cycling to be done :(

The fishless method is much kinder obviously. You may not have anything to look at in the weeks that the tank is cycling but to me, that is fine as I know I'm not making any fish suffer and eventually die. It's up to you obviously but I would feel terribly guilty watching the danios swimming about while the tank was cycling, knowing what I was doing to them.

The fishless method is much kinder obviously. You may not have anything to look at in the weeks that the tank is cycling but to me, that is fine as I know I'm not making any fish suffer and eventually die. It's up to you obviously but I would feel terribly guilty watching the danios swimming about while the tank was cycling, knowing what I was doing to them.

I been thinking about this all day and watching that poor betta in its small glassbowl at work just made me shutter. In the time I have been there the poor thing hasnt had its water changed, the bowl and fake plant are covered in slime and algae. The poor thing rarely moves and I have never seen it come to the surface. Today it was soo cold in the place (fish is right by outside door) I had to put a coat on. The owner doesnt know the first thing about bettas and she had him close to 3 years. He still is fed the same food he came with :(. When I left he seemed to be gasping worse then usual.

I dont think I can bring myself to put another fish through somethign liek that.